Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Still Planned for 2013, “Main Character Expressions in Cutscenes Have Been Altered”

June 21, 2013
Written by Jason Dunning

We know the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is coming out this September. We know that Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII won’t release until February 2014. What we don’t know from Square Enix is when we can expect the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.

The last status update in May pegged Final Fantasy X HD at 80% complete, with Final Fantasy X-2 HD at about 65%, with Yoshinori Kitase, Final Fantasy Producer/Director, still planning to have it release this year. Then, speaking to Gamer.ne.jp (via Siliconera), Yoshinori talked a little about some of the difficulties in bringing these games to PS3 and PS Vita:

Just getting an SD quality game and turning it into HD isn’t something we’d settle for. The production is based on the memories of those who’ve played the game 10 years ago, but we’re taking our time to develop it so we can make sure that the new HD look and its beautiful form won’t ruin those memories. We’ve modified the characters and polygons, one by one, and we’ve also revised the textures.

Not everything has changed, but the main character expressions in cutscenes have been altered. However, simply adding polygons can subtly change impressions, so we’re constantly checking while revising to make sure we don’t ruin the image of Tidus and Yuna for the fans.

Details about the PlayStation Vita version of each title are pretty scarce right now (we don’t even know a price or if they’ll hit retail), but Yoshinori does believe that it’s a waste not to take advantage of the PS Vita’s touch screen. As for the Remaster itself, he hopes that “those of you who’ve played the PlayStation 2 version will get to play and feel a sense of nostalgia.”

How disappointed would you be if X and X-2 get pushed to 2014? Let us know in the comments below.